Cahli-fonya (California, as stated by Ah-nold the Gov-nah)

I haven't been blogging lately. Sorry everyone. There's not much to blog about.

except

CALIFORNIA!

I'm so going to lay on the beach, work on my writing, read Austenland and Hunger Games, hang out with the fam, and FORGET about work for an entire glorious week. (I busted my rear for three days making sure the good ole dental office was stocked to bursting, sparkling clean, and organized to the point of OCD so the girl who's filling in my spot as chief bottom-dweller and spit sucker aka the dental assistant, will have an easier time.

I told Dr. Boss to call me if there are any problems. I think I'll do what Isla Fisher did on "Confessions of a Shopaholic" and give the work number a "do NOT answer this call!" ringtone and then go give myself a beach sand pedicure.

Ah.....

P.S. Alyssa really looks like Rita Skeeter with your reading glasses on, Mom.

Harry Potter and the Half-Done Script

I had the amazing opportunity to see this movie BEFORE the midnight premiere. I was totally stoked.... decked out in my Gryffindor (go lions!) tee shirt, my red and gold scarf good for Gryffindors and Sun Devils alike, and I even had my 14'' black palm wand with a dryad hair core.

With giddy anticipation, the lights faded, and the familiar John Williams Harry Potter theme began playing. Clouds swirled around the Warner Brothers symbol as the film commenced.

Alas, I was disappointed. The scenes were long and drawn out, there were scenes added that not only weren't in the 6th book, they weren't in any Harry Potter book, and Ginny is now taller than Harry. Not that there's anything wrong with that... but cinematically speaking, there's supposed to be a visual ideal going on.

They did do well with the characters, however. Lavender Brown was hysterical, Dumbledore was amazing, Slughorn was P-E-R-F-E-C-T, and Draco Malfoy gave what in my opinion was is best performance. The things they actually got from the book were done very well.

I think I need to just see it again when I'm being less critical. Now that I've seen it, I can appreciate it for what it is: a movie, not a book.

Woods, bugs, smelly young women, and a strengthened testimony

It all adds up to Girl's Camp! I wasn't able to go the whole time, so a friend and I drove up the final night to spend time with our girls during Bishop's night. The scenery was beautiful, the spirit was strong, the smiles were bright, and each and every girl was absolutely full of it....

Coolness that is.

Here's a slide show I made. Now you get to see just how silly and wonderful these people really are!

I have so much love for the young women in my ward. I have had the privilege of serving as Laurel Advisor for the past year and a half and I absolutely adore it! These girls lift me up and bring so much joy to my life!

Ye Olde Ren Faire

Seriously, how many days a year can you be Princess for a day?
When the Renaissance Festival is in town, about nine, if you go every Saturday and on President's Day. I'd never go that many times though. I'm not that crazy, nor that wealthy.

The Renaissance Festival, or Ren Fair for short, is my "Princess for a Day" day. True, I'm twenty-seven years old and should therefore have outgrown playing dress-up, but ooh, I can't help it! It's just so fun to walk through the medieval-themed village, smile and curtsey, speak in an English accent and pretend I know what I'm talking about, and hear people refer to me as "my lady." Before I got married, I'd amuse myself by following the super-cute "Prince James" around the fair and bat my eyelashes at him.

Here's a picture of me and my friend Shalyse at the fair (Prince James, sadly, not pictured) with a group of people sharing in the revelry of playing pretend.

Shalyse and I made our costumes out of bed-sheets. No pattern!!

But my favorite part of the day is at the end, after the canon fires for the close of the park. About half a dozen musicians gather at the heart of the fair, armed only with drums, and pound out a catchy beat for people to dance to.

The Fair runs from February to March and it never comes fast enough. Next year, I'm dressing up as Ann Boleyn only I'll still have my head I hope. I'm already geared up to hear the song "Greensleeves" sung to me many times.

Quote of the Day:

Au contraire, Pierre.

I am so grateful for the good men who

sacrificed their lives so we could

have the freedoms we enjoy today.

Happy Fourth of July, everyone!!!

a few of my favorite things...

Photoshop.
It's a beautiful thing.
Only problem? If I were to REALLY meet J.K. Rowling someday, no one would believe me because they'd think I just photoshopped the picture.
Oh well... doesn't stop me from having a little fun.

Here's me riding Shadowfax, my unicorn.

And here I am with the entire cast of Star Wars. (My friends Rogue and Cammie are on here too. Sorry it's hard to see.)

^ --------I'm right there

next to Harrison Ford. Rogue is above me and Cam is to the right, next to Chewbacca

Here's the time I met Stephen Spielberg (again, people, this isn't real)

And who could ever forget the time me and Rogue showed J.R.R. Tolkien our elvish "9" tattoos?

Ah, Photoshop. Like a good book, you've taken me places and introduced me to people I can only dream about.

P.S. I don't really have a tattoo of the elvish "9". All the actors that were in the Fellowship in the Lord of the Rings films have one though. If you watch Pirates of the Caribbean, (the first one) and you go to the part where Will and Jack are sword-fighting in the blacksmith shop and Jack says "...or, the reason you practice for three hours a day is that you've already found one; and are otherwise incapable of wooing said strumpet..." you can see Orlando Bloom's tattoo on his wrist.